Ask HN: Alternatives to pay-to-win revenue streams?

Hey all! So I have been slowly working on a pet project that, in it's simplest iteration, is a mobile gaming arcade. That said, I have become disillusioned with the current pay-to-win model (as has the U.S. government, apparently). I have encountered a few games (Path of Exile comes to mind) that embrace a play-to-win mindset and I am just trying to brainstorm some cool alternatives that a) don't rely on predatory advertising or marketing and b) don't force users to pay if they want to see their name on a leaderboard. Thanks for any and all advice.